Psychological/Suspense/Paranormal

Shelly Reiesman wants to renovate the family portrait studio, a seventy-five year old building. This building has been shut down since 1919. Reluctantly the family agrees to her request. She knows of her great grandfather 'Papa' Menashe Reisman and his madness leading up to his death. But what she does not know is what caused him to lose his sanity.

As she beings renovations she soon finds she is not alone in the old building, there are secrets hidden within these walls. Secrets so horrid that she becomes obsessed with the building and the ghosts that dwell within.

The ghosts of a young girl Caraliza and young man Yousep, two young innocents trying to flee from evil. Their love for each other is heart warming. Shelly soon finds that Caraliza was held captive by a brute of a man, beaten and left hungry with no food, and little shelter. As young Yousef desperately tries to save the live of the young girl he loves, Shelly is being pulled into their nightmare and must right the wrongs that have been committed so many years ago.

Well written page turner that kept me up way past my bedtime. Mr. Kirkpatrick writes with such detail that I felt as if I was there, I could feel the emotion of each character. As each shocking secret was revealed I longed to find out more. A very emotional story that had me hooked from the first page.

I look forward to more work by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick ( )

"The brilliant glow of his soul in their mouths as Caraliza prevented its escape into the air."

Caraliza is a gripping but also lovely, potent novel that is about human endurance and capacity for love. What makes the book so incredible is the fact that it constantly surprises. Like any good book, there's a dynamic here that is difficult to recreate in summary if I want to do the story justice, but I'll try: Caraliza is about the endurance of genuine romance, the beauty of hope, the ability to imagine and remember love so vividly that it becomes immune to death. This book is part mystery, part fantastical, part dark realism, and yet it is the baffling and remarkable nature of love that drives each plot shift, injects each gritty scene with beauty and softness, and clearly defines each character's role. Caraliza is a beautifully written and utterly unique work that is sure to endure. ( )

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It's so much more than a paranormal romantic mystery. The living breathe life into the dead. The dead have a message, a story they need told to the living. A menacing ghost terrorizes a family. In this book, the love is so tangible it made me sigh with envy. The author's words and style are beautiful. I found myself transported right into the scene, right into each era. I was totally immersed in the story. I enjoyed my time in the naughty closet.

I haven't read anything this moving or beautiful in longer than I can remember. The book made me want to cry. I gasped at the unexpected twist at the end. I loved Shelly and Evan as much as I did Caraliza and Yousep. This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish reading it. ( )

The cover of this book is what first drew me. Caraliza, the cover, is haunting, stark and beautiful. I soon found out that Caraliza, the book, is as well. This is a story of brutality, survival, deceit, revenge, and enduring love. Kirkpatrick opens with a brilliant piece of historical fiction. He then effortlessly transitions to the current day, yet we don't lose the characters we've grown to love. They haunt us, as they haunt the pages of the book.

This isn't a fast-paced thriller, nor is it meant to be. Kirkpatrick takes his time, allowing the story to unfold at its own pace. Suspense, intrigue, despair, mystery, romance, terror, love, tragedy and hope fill these pages. By the end, I felt like I'd come to know the characters as friends. And I was sad to see them go. ( )

Gems: Caraliza is a story possessed by stark hauntings that will grip your nerves from the first page and drag you into a grisly nightmare that will both seduce and frighten the reader. Much like the photo of Caraliza, it is impossible to turn your eyes away from the macabre on the page and within them, a person will see both beauty and horrible abuse. However, the ghastliness is not achieved through simple shock value, but by displaying an imaginary realness and believable richness of history. It is also amplified by the love that creates a harmonious balance and chilling sensuality that is genuinely romantic. The intimacy between characters will bring a tingle to your skin and a sigh to your heart. Caraliza is a great achievement in pairing the paranormal with romance. It's stunningly grounded and had me holding my breath at parts in the story. The plot is not obviously predictable, although readers might think themselves clever by assuming they've figured out what will come. However, the twist isn't so extreme that it implodes. Clues are dropped along the way like breads crumbs and with each sorrow comes a morsel of joy. It is as if one can not be achieved without the other. I absolutely adored the line, “I’ll not wait to die to haunt him.” This story will haunt me for some time, but much like Shelly, I welcome the sensations and fright. It too made me feel alive and perhaps, a bit spooky for loving it so much. It is a rarity for me to read a book twice, but I will revisit this story again. As far as I'm concerned, Caraliza is an absolute MUST read and one I will return to. So no, I will not share my copy.

Flaws: The book has left me speechless in this department. A terrible shame that I did not write it, but I applaud the author who did. ( )